The Attorney General's Office received 5,581 vehicle-related complaints of a total 26,500 complaints last year. Of those, most dealt with getting the title for used-car purchases, said Kate Hanson, spokeswoman for Attorney General Mike DeWine.

"In Ohio, consumers don't have a three-day right to cancel the purchase of a vehicle after they've bought the car," she said. "So once you buy it, generally, it's yours."

Hanson said dealers are allowed to sell vehicles before they themselves have the title but should provide it to the customer within 30 days. After 40 days, the customer can seek a refund.

"If a certain amount of time goes by and the consumer has not received the title for the vehicle, then the consumer has rights under Ohio law to rescind the transaction," she said.

Jim Kling, executive vice president of the Stark County Auto Dealers Association, said problems can occur when a trade-in vehicle has outstanding debt.

"Maybe the dealer doesn't have enough money to pay off that lien right away," he said. "And so he drags his feet."

Kling said new dealerships typically have more capital and professional management experience, so they don't face the same situation as often. A less innocent reason buyers may be delayed a title, he said, is when dealers try "double dipping." The dealer may try to use the title for a loan at another institution even though the car's already sold.

Either way, it puts the buyer in a bind because they can't get license plates or bank funding.

"The collateral is the title," Kling said. "And when a title is not available, but funds have been distributed based on that collateral, therein lies the problem."

Complaints with auto dealers, both new and used, comprised the majority of issues the Better Business Bureau of Canton Regional & Greater West Virginia dealt with in 2013 as well. Amanda Tietze, vice president of public relations, said complaints about the auto industry are followed only by service providers.

The runner-up on the attorney general's list was collections, credit reporting and financial services. That was followed by do-not-call violations.

While it didn't crack the top 10 complaints, identity theft has also become a fast-growing category, Hanson said. There were 578 complaints in 2013, the first full year the attorney general's Identity Theft Unit operated.

"Through the identity theft unit, we can help resolve the issues or give them the tools that they need to take steps on their own to resolve the issues," Hanson said.

Both the attorney general's office and BBB encourage consumers to research businesses before making a purchase and to file a complaint if an issue is not resolved.

Page 2 of 2 - "It is good to reach out to the business involved to see if you can reach a resolution," Hanson said. "Sometimes that works and sometimes it doesn't."

Reach Kelly at 330-580-8323

On Twitter: @kbyerREP

Want to file consumer complaint?

• Contact the Ohio Attorney General's Office at 800-282-0515 or www.ohioattorneygeneral.gov. A specialist will review the complaint and work with the business to find a resolution.

• Contact the BBB at www.cantonbbb.org or 330-454-9401. If the organization receives no response from a business during informal mediation, the case is forwarded to the attorney general's office.